Safety support for brake rods



June 4, 1935. s. A. CRONE SAFETY SUPPORT FOR BRAKE RODS Filed Aug. 1,1934 16g. 1/

INVENTOR. 3 3677 14.670779.

ATTORNEY.

Patented June 4, 1935 SAFETY SUPPORT FOR BRAKE RODS Seth A. Crone, EastOrange, N. J., assignor to Buffalo Brake Beam Company, New York, N. Y.,a corporation of New York Application August 1, 1934, Serial No. 737,880

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to safety supports for the connectingbottom rods of brake levers for the purpose of supporting the bottom rodin case it should tend to fall upon the track.

An object of the present invention is to provide a safety attachment orsupport which may be readily applied to the compression member of abrake beam by first engaging portions thereof with the edge of the upperflange of the compression member and then gradually Working the supportaround to normal position so that it may then support the bottom rod ifit should fail in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and eiiicientsafety support for bottom rods which may be readily applied for use.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the sameconsists of certain features of construction and combinations of partsto be hereinafter described and then claimed with reference to theaccompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of theinvention and wherein Pig. 1 is a plan of parts of the brake mechaof acar truck showing the present improvements attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the safety support showing it applied to abeam, the bottom rod being in section; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation at right angles to Fig. 2 showing theattachment in broken lines as when applying it and also showing it infull lines in position for use.

Referring to the drawing, the compression member it and the tensionmember H of the brake beam, which is but partially disclosed, may be ofthe usual construction. Mounted upon the brake beam so as to fulcrumthereon are the brake levers i2, 13 which at their lower ends aresecured together by the bottom connecting rod M.

The improved brake beam attachment is preferably formed from a metalstrip or flat bar constituting safety means for supporting a bottom rod,such as M, and it comprises a stirrup or loop 55 constituting thesupporting member for the rod is in case of its failure, such stirruphaving parallel upwardly extending side portions l6. These upwardlyextending portions iii are provided with twists I! in order to set theplanes of the upward extensions It at right angles to the planes of theflat faces of the side portions l6.

From the upper ends of the upward extensions 18 there are bent a pair ofarms 19 extending at substantially right angles thereto. These arms 19are terminated by hooks formed by short down turned portions 2! andinturned end portions 2!, that is the end portions 2| extend toward theupward extensions l8. The inturned portions 2| are also bent or curvedaround towards the arms 59, that is they extend substantially at aninclination thereto. The manner'in which the inturned portions 2| arebent provides cavities or recesses 22 at their inner faces at pointsadjacent to the down turned portions 20.

In order to apply the improved safety attache ment to a brake beam, thesame is first engaged with the compression member ID in about theposition shown in Fig. 3 in dotted lines. This is because of the reasonthat while there is some clearance between the safety attachment and thecompression member when the former is in using position, the slightnessof the clearances require that the attachment be first applied in aninclined position, so that the upper flange of the compression memberfairly snugly engages in between the edges of the end portions 2! andthe arms i 9, the upward extensions [8 being then in contact with theupper corner of the compression member from which the upper flangeextends. In other words, when the safety attachment is initially appliedthe lit is fairly snug, but the formation of the parts of the same withrespect to the compression member is such that the attachment or safetysupport is required to be gradually worked from its inclined position tothe position shown in full lines in Fig. 3. When the attachment orsafety support is in'the full line position, it will be seen that thereis a very slight clearance left between the edge of the upper flange andthe down turned portions 28, the recesses or cavities 22 providingspaces into which the free edge of the flange may enter in working thesupport around to full line position.

This simple method of attachment may be all that is necessary in orderto satisfactorily mount the improved safety hangers upon abrake beam,but if desired they may be clinched to the beam by blows upon theportions 29, 2|, sufficient to cause the same to clinch with the upperflange of the compression member.

What I claim as new is- V 1. In a safety support for brake rods, thecombination of a brake-beam channel member, and a stirrup formed of ametallic bar, having at its upper ends outwardly bent arms, each armhaving an inwardly directed hook for engagement over and under the upperflange of the channel member.

2. In a safety support for brake rods, the combination of a brake-beamchannel member, and a stirrup formed of a metallic bar, having at itsupper ends outwardly bent arms, each arm having an inwardly directedhook for engagement over and under the upper flange of the channelmember, the inturned end portion of the hook being inclined upwardly.

3. In a safety support for brake rods, the combination of a brake-beamchannel member, and a 10 stirrup formed of a metallic bar, having at itsupper ends outwardly bent arms, each arm having an inwardly directedhook for engagement over and under the upper flange of the channelmember, the int-urned end portion of the hook being inclined upwardly,and the inner surface of the hook having a clearance with respect to theedge of the upper flange and the underside of such flange.

